Incinerator



July 1', 1930. E. o. HOWLE INCINERATOR Filed 00f. 27, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 1 van,

July 1, 1930. E. o. HOWLE INCINERATOR 2 Sheets-Shah's 2 Filed 001:. 27,1927' In I Iilm

,& llllllllllll Fatenterl drug 1, 12 938 star ERNEST O. HOWLE, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MID-WESTINCINEEATGR CGREDRATIGN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWAREINCINER-ATOR This invention relates to improvements in an incinerator,particularly adapted for use in the basement of a home or other buildingfor burning garbage and other refuse of all 5 kinds.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide anincinerator of this type, adapted to handle wet and dry materials,provision being made for drying out the wet 10 materials before they areintroduced into the furnace chamber and burned, and means are alsoprovided to force malodorous vapors or gases issuing from the dryingmaterial to pass through the burning zone, or

combustion chamber before they enter the flue.

More specifically, the invention contemplates the use of a fixed shelfadapted to temporarily support wet materials such as garbage above thefurnace chamber proper, in combination with movable means formaintaining the wet materials upon this shelf or alternativelyprojecting the dried materials into the rear portion of the furnacechamber.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of one approved form of the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the incinerator.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken substantially on the line 22of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on the line33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4c is a horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 17-4;of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sliding drawer, removed from theincinerator- Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectionillustrating one of the burner-shields.

The incinerator comprises an outer steel shell 1, consisting of a frontwall 2, a back 45 wall 3, side walls a, a bottom 5 and a top 6.

An inner cast iron shell consisting of vertical side walls 7 and a rearwall 8 encloses the furnace and combustion chambers, the walls F 7 and 8being spaced from the walls 4: and 3 of the outer shell to define an airspace 9 therebetween for preheating the combustion air. An ash-receivingreceptacle 1O rests upon the bottom of the casing, and is slidablyintroduced through an opening in the front wall of the outer shell 1,the vertical front wall 11 of the receptacle serving to close thisopening when the receptacle is in place. A handle 12 is provided on thefront of the receptacle for withdrawing same to empty the ashes. A mainhorizontal grate 13 is supported in the lower portion of the incineratorabove the receptacle 10 by means of brackets 14 extending inwardly fromthe side walls 7. This grate 13 is shorter than the depth of theincinerator casing from front to rear, (as best shown in Fig. 2) so thatthe grate may be shifted horizontally to sift the ashes and to dumpincombustible material such as tin cans into the receiver 10. A reargrate 15 is supported between the side walls 7 in an upwardly andrearwardly inclined position with its lower end 16 positioned above therear end of horizontal grate 13, and its upper edge 17 positionedbeneath the ledge 18 which supports the rear wall 8 of the inner-casing,which as shown in Fig. 2 terminates directly above the upper end of therear grate 15. In the example shown. both grates are of the well knowntype consisting of spaced parallel bars 19 which are connected atintervals so as to form elongated spaces 20 therehetween.

. Suitable air inlets 21 are provided in the upper portions of the outerside walls 4, sliding dampers 22 being provided to regulate these airinlets. The pre-heated air passes from the space 9 between the sidewalls through openings 24. at the bottom of the easing into theash-receiving space and thence up throughthe grate. Air also passesthrough the openings 25 in the rear portion of the inner side walls 7into the space 26 behind the rear grate 15 and thence through this grateinto the furnace chamber.

An inlet opening 27 in the front wall 2 of the outer casing slightlyabove the grate 13, is normally closed by a door 28 hinged in anysuitable manner at 29, and provided with a catch 30 and a handle 81. Adamper 82 of usual form may be provided in door 28. A.

chute 33 formed within the inlet opening 27 projects inwardly anddownwardly to direct dry materials which are introduced through thisopening, onto the horizontal grate 13.

A pair of gas burners 34 supplied from s manifold 35 and controlled bygas valves 3 and air inlet valves 37, are mounted in the front wall 2directly above the grate 13 and one at either side of chute 33. Theoutlet 0 enings of these burners are beveled or unrout asindicated at-38 so as to minimize thedanger of materials which are introduced intothe incinerator clogging the gas outlets. To increase this protection,shields 39 (best shown in Fig. 6) are mounted between the chute 33andside walls 7 and have front portions 40 slightly overhanging the burners34 so as toshield these burners as far as possible from the materialswithin the incinerator. It will be noted that these burners projecttheir flames into the material in the furnace chamberfllrectly above thegrate 13 so as to obtain themaximum benefit of these flames in mainthecombustion while at the same time .nnnimizing the heat to which thegrate 13 is subjected. In. the usual form, wherein the burners areprojected upwardly through the gate from beneath, a great deal of theheat these burners is wasted in heating the grate.

A second inlet opening 41 is provided in the forward portion of the topplate 6 of the shell 1 this opening being provided with a cover flhuvingahandle 43 by which the cover may beaconveniently lifted, this opening41 is used to: the introduction of garbage and other wet refuse. A flueor outlet 44 for the gaseous products of combustion is provided in therear rtion of top plate 6, this flue communicatmg with a chimney 45. Thegaseous prodacts of combustion arising from the furnace chamber 46 passupwardly through the combustion chamber 47 in the upper portion of thereceptacle and thence outwardly through flue 44 into chimney 45.

A pair of horizontal guides or runways 48 are cast integrally with orsecured to the opposite inner side walls 7 of the receptacle, in theupper portion thereof. A shelf 49 joining the side walls and extendingbackwardly approximately half the depth of the incinerator is supportedfrom the forward portion of the guides 48 in any suitable mannor, forexample by being bolted thereto as indicated at 50 in Fig. 3. Abottomless drawer, consisting of a front wall 51, side walls 52 and arear wall 53 is slidably mounted upon the guides 48. When this drawer isin its normal forward position as indicated in the drawings, a portionof the front wall 51 thereof will close a correspondingly shaped openingin the upper portion of the front wall 2 of the incinerator, there beinga handle 54 projecting forwardly from this portion of the front wall 51.When in this position, the

drawer is adapted to receive the wet materials introduced through thetop inlet opening 41, and at such times the shelf 49 serves as a bottomfor the drawer. A. lip portion 55 on front wall 2 extends upwardly aboveshelf 49 so as to prevent liquids draining out through the front of theincinerator casing. A plurality of openings 56 formed in the rear wall53 of the drawer permit vapors and gases driven off from the dryingmaterial to pass rearwardly into the combustion chamber 47 where theymingle with the heated gases arising from the furnace chamber 46.

In operation, the drawer will normally be maintained in the positionindicated in the drawings. Dry refuse will be introduced into theincinerator through the front inlet opening 27, and garbage or other wetrefuse will be introduced through the upper opening 41. When sufficientrefuse has been accumulated, the burning will be started by lighting thegas burners 34. No great amount of heat is required from the burnerswhich are merely necessary to initiate and maintain the combustion. Theheat produced by the burning materials upon the grates 13 and 15 willheat the incoming combustion air which must pass between the inner andouter casings, thus utilizing to pre-heat the combustion air heat thatwould otherwise be lost through radiation. The combustible materialswill not only be supported upon the bottom grate 13 but will also bepiled against the rear upwardly inclined grate 15 so that the area ofthis material exposed to the incoming combustion air will beconsiderably increased and the combustion facilitated. The hot gaseousproducts of combustion will pass upwardly through the combustion chamber47 and outwardly through the flue 44 to the chimney 45. During thispassage they will impinge against the lower surface of shelf 49 and heatthe wet materials which are confined thereon by the slidable drawer. Themalodorous vapors and gases driven off from the drying materials in thedrawer will pass out through openings 56 in the rear bafile wall of thedrawer into the combustion chamber 47 where they meet the hot combustiongases rising from the furnace and are broken down or consumed so thatonly unobjcctionablc gases pass out through the flue 44. Vhen thematerial supported above the shelf 49 has been sufiiciently dried, thehandle 54 may be grasped and the drawer pushed inwardly along the guides48 to the rear portion of the incinerator so as to to push the driedmaterials from shelf 49 and dump them through the open bottom of thedrawer into the furnace chamber. These dried materials will thereafterbe consumed along with the other dry materials which are insertedthrough the front inlet opening 27. Ashes and other incombustiblematerials will fall through the grate 13 into the ash receptacle 10, andthe lower grate 13 may be pushed back along the supporting brackets 14so that incombustible materials too large to pass through the grate maybe scraped or dumped into receptacle 10. The ashes will be disposed ofin the usual manner by withdrawing receptacle from the incinerator.

It will be apparent that when the drawer is pushed to its innermostposition the dried materials ill be projected from the shelf 49 into therearmost portion of the inclinerator so that they will fall upon therear grate l5 and thence downwardly onto the rear portion of horizontalgrate 13, this being the most desirable position for these materials tofacilitate the combustion processes. By leaving the slidable drawer fora short time in his rear position, the heated gases passing upwardlythrough combustion chamber 47 will flow through the drawer so as to burnout and cleanse the same before it is drawn back to its normal positionabove shelf 49 to receive another supply of wet material through theupper inlet opening 41.

I claim: 7

1. In an incinerator including a receptacle housing a furnace chamber-inits lower portion, an inlet opening in thetop of the receptacle, aclosure for the opening, means for supporting wet material above thefurnace chamber including a shelf extending across a portion of theupper part of the receptacle beneath the inlet opening, and a bottomlessdrawer slidably mounted above the shelf.

2. In an inclinerator including a receptacle housing a furnace chamberin its lower por: tion, an inlet opening in the top of the receptacle, aclosure for the opening, means for supporting wet material above thefurnace chamber including horizontal guides mounted on the oppositeinner side walls of the receptacle, a bottomless drawer slidable alongthese guides, and a shelf connecting a portion of the guides beneath theinlet opening to form a closure'for the bottom of the drawer when in oneposition.

3. In an incinerator including a receptacle housing a furnace chamber inthe lower portion, means for supporting wet material above the furnacechamber including horizontal guides mounted on the opposite inner sidewalls of the receptacle, an opening in the front of the receptacle, aninlet opening in the top of the receptacle, a closure for the latteropening, a bottomless drawer slidable along the guides, a portion of thefront wall of the drawer serving to close the front opening in thereceptacle when the drawer is in. its extreme forward position at whichtime the drawer is beneath the inlet opening, and a shelf connecting theforward portions of the guides to serve as a closure for the bottom ofthe drawer when in its forward position.

t. In an incinerator including a receptacle housing a furnace chamber inits lower position, means for supporting Wet material opening in thereceptacle when the drawer is in its extreme forward position at whichtime the drawer is beneath the inlet opening, and a shelf connectingtheforward portions of the guides to serve as a closure for the bottom ofthe drawer when in its forward position, there being outletsformed inthe rear wall of the drawer to permit the escape'of gases into thecombustion chamber of the incinerator.

5. In an incinerator including a receptacle housing a furnace chamber inthelower portion, means for supporting wet material above the furnacechamber including a shelf extending across a portion of the upper partof the receptacle, anda bottomless drawer slidably mounted above theshelf, there being outlets formed in the rear wall of the drawer topermit the escape of gases into the combustion chamber of theincinerator.

6. In an incinerator including a closed receptacle, a horizontal grateand an upwardly inclined rear grate in the lower portion of thereceptacle, means in the front of the receptacle for introducing drymaterials to the furnace'chamber above the grates, a flue opening fromthe upper rear portion of the receptacle, an opening in the upper frontportion of the receptacle for introducing wet materials, a closure forthis opening, a shelf beneath the opening for supporting the wetmaterials, and means movable from front to rear of the receptacle foralternatively confining wet materials upon the shelf or projecting thesematerials when dried into the rear portion of the furnace chamber.

7. In an incinerator including a closed receptacle, a horizontal grateand an upwardly inclined rear grate in the lower portion of thereceptacle, means in the front of the receptacle for introducing drymaterials to the furnace chamber above the grates, afiue opening fromthe upper rear portion of the receptacle, an opening in the upper frontportion of the receptacle for introducing wet materials, a closure forthis opening, a shelf beneath the opening for supporting the wetmaterials, a pair of guides extending along the inner side walls of thereceptacle toward the rear thereof and in line with the shelf, therebeing an opening in the front wall of the receptacle, a bottomlessdrawer adapted to slide from front to rear along the shelf and guides, aportion of the front of the drawer closing the last mentioned openingwhen the drawer is in its forward position beneath the upper inlet forthe wet materials, with the shelf forming a closure for the bottom ofthe drawer.

8; In an incinerator including a closed re- 11g eeptecle, a horizontalgrate and an upwardly Inclined rear grate in the lower portion of thoreeeptale, means in the front of the remptacle for introducing drymaterials to thmfurnace chamber above the grates, a flue 1 from theupper rear portion of the i it receptacle, an openin in the upper frontM1011 of the receptac e for introducing wet materials a closure for thisopening, a shelf a beneath the openin for supporting the wet {5materials, a pair guides extending alon the inner side walls of thereceptacle towa the rear thereof and in line with the shelf, there beingan opening in the front wall of the receptacle, a bottomless drawer adated a fiq llide from front to rear along the s elf and guides, a portionof the front of the wer closing the last mentioned opening when thedrawer is in its forward position beneath the upper inlet for the wetmateri- 95 ale, with the shelf forming a closure for the bottom of thedrawer, there being outlets formed in the rear wall of the drawer topermit the esca of gases into the combust-ion chamber 0 the incinerator.0 9. In an incinerator including a closed reeeptaele having a combustionchamber in the lower portion thereof, a front inlet opening "Id rearflue outlet in the top of the receptaqclma closure for the inlet openina drawer open at the top and bottom mova 1e from a PQSifiOn beneath theinlet opening to a sition beneath the flue, and a fixed shelf neath theinlet opening, the shelf servin as a closure for the bottom of thedrawer w on in the first position.

ERNEST O. HOWLE.

